Electrical precipitator



May 13, 1952 G. BUSFIELD 2,596,526

ELECTRICAL PRECIPITATOR Filed April 25. 1950 4 Sheets-Sheei 1 INVENTORGazebo/v EU F/ Q M. W

. ATTORNEYS May 13, 1952 G. BUSFIELD 2,596,525

ELECTRICAL PRECIPITATOR Filed April 25, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTO'RM-LW ATTORNEYS May 13, 1952 e. BUSFIELD ELECTRICAL PRECIPITATOR 4Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 25, 1950 w w H 7 2 M V6 P Lrfiwk z 3 V GM? VY MU 3 0 0 I 0 0 u a a 0 N4. o o o 0 x AA H\ 7 m 2 n m 2 M 2 ATTORNEYS y13, 1952 G. BUSFIELD ELECTRICAL PRECIPITATOR .4 SheetsSheet 4 FiledApril 25, 1950 I R I I I I 2 I O 7 7 6 z 6 m w 4 w. 4 a \U 5 1| 0. D 32E O G I w m I I 6 s I I WW 1 w m ATTORNEYq'S Patented May 13, 1952ELECTRICAL PRECIPITATOR Gordon Busfield, Annandale, N. J., assignor toResearch Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New YorkApplication April 25, 1950, Serial No. 158,023

4 Claims.

This invention relates to electrical precipitation apparatus for theseparation of suspended materials from gas.

More particularly the invention relates to col lecting electrodestructures for electrical precipitators of the Cottrc-ll type, providinga strong, light-weight, sectional electrode particularly useful forlarge size electrical precipitators.

An object of the invention is to provide a collecting electrode of highmaterial collecting efficiency, which will occupy only a minimum ofspace in the precipitator.

A further object is to provide such an electrode which may be assembledor dismantled in sections whereby the cost and time required forinstallation and repairs is greatl diminished.

Another object of the invention is to provide a collecting electrodehaving means for directing the flow of precipitated material close tothe electrode surface.

A further object is to provide means for directing the fall ofprecipitated material into alternate zones of heavy and light dustconcentrations at the electrode surface thereby providing asubstantially uniform precipitating action throughout the length of thecollecting electrode.

These and other objects and advantages are provided by the collectingelectrode of the invention comprising a plurality of superimposedsections, each section comprising a plate, a member projecting angularlyupward from the upper edge of the plate and extending above the loweredge of the next higher plate in the structure, an angularly disposedbaffle member spaced from the upwardly projecting member and cooperatingtherewith to define a trough extending along the lower edge of the nexthigher plate and open along the lower apex thereof adjacent the upperedge of the plate.

The invention will be more particularly described with reference to theillustrative embodiments of the invention shown in the accompanyingdrawings in which:

Fig. l is a vertical elevation in partial section of a vertical flowprecipitator employing collecting electrodes constructed in accordancewith the principles of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical elevation of the precipitator of Fig. l in partialsection on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary View of an electrode of the invention;

Fig. 4 shows another form of construction in enlarged diagrammaticsection of the electrodes;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of a discharge andcollecting electrode adapted to be employed in a horizontal flowprecipitator; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary end section of the electrodes shown in 5.

Referring to the drawings and in particular to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, I ii isthe shell or casing of a vertical flow electrical precipitator having agas inlet i l and outlet I 2. Within the casing parallel dischargeelectrodes it are shown supported by an electrode supporting frame l4suspended vertically between the collecting electrodes 15 of theinvention.

The upper ends of the discharge electrode frames I4 are connected to thehigh tension electrical system of the precipitator through bus bar andelectrode spacer it, while a retaining frame ll is shown at the lowerends of the electrodes l3 to secure them from lateral displacement andfrom swinging from side to side in the gas stream.

Precipitated material is collected at the lower end of the precipitatorin a hopper [8. A plurality of dust chutes l9 and 20 direct theprecipitated material from the lower ends of the collecting electrodes15 through the incoming gas stream and perforated gas distribution plate2| to the collecting hopper.

The collecting electrodes of the invention comprise a plurality ofinterlocking sections 22 encompassed by a rectangular frame 23 providedwith hanger means 24 adapted to support the electrode within thep-recipitator. Each section, as more clearly shown in Fig. 3 of thedrawings, comprises a plate 25 having a warped upper portion 26extending outwardly at about 30 to the vertical along the upper edge ofthe plate. This angularly projecting portion of the plate 25 forms oneside of a funnel shaped trough 2'! which is coextensive with the upperedge of the collecting electrode. A baflie plate 28 similarlycoextensive with the upper edge of the electrode forms the other side ofthe dust collecting trough 21. In the preferred form of the inventionthe lower ends of the bafiie members are extended below the bends of theangular upper portion 26 of the the electrode is alternately projectedto one side and to the other. The arrows shown in Fig. 3

' are diagrammatic representations of the fall path and the magnitude ofthe precipitated dust along the surface of the collecting electrode. Onside A of section I there is a heavy fall of dust particles comprisingall of the material precipitated from both sides of all of the sectionsabove together with the material collected in the zone IA. The materialfall on side IB is light comprising only the dust precipitated in zone13. In section II the'fall of precipitated material reverses sides atthe collecting trough with the heavier material fall on side IIB and alight fall on side IIA.

At each succeeding lower section the heavy and light flows alternatebetween sides A and B of the electrode. Thus material-laden gasespassing upwardly between the collecting electrodes will always passthrough a predetermined number of collecting zones having a lightmaterial fall and a high collecting capacity.

' In'Fig. 4 of the drawings a modified form of the invention is shownwherein the sectional collecting plates 25, which form the collectingzones of the electrode are of varying heights, the section platesbecoming progressively shorter from the upper most section downwardly.This construction when employed in an up draft precipitator givesseveral zones where the collected dust concentration is light along theplates at a point where the grains of dust per cubic foot of gas is theheaviest and also it provides for better gas balliing where the dustfall is the heaviest. In operation hot dust-laden gases enter theprecipitator through gas inlet ii, and flow upwardly between the dustchutes i9 and 28. These chutes divide the incoming gas into streams, and

aidin baiilng the gas away from the precipitated dust at the points 32where the dust enters the chutes from the collecting electrodes. As thegas passes between the discharge and collecting electrodes l3 and i5respectively the suspended dust particles become ionized and areprecipitated upon the surface of the collecting electrodes;

When the collecting electrodes are vibrated or rapped the precipitateddust falls from the plates toward the next lower zone, hitting thefunnel shaped trough 21 between each plate section. These troughs aid,along with the effect of the corona discharge, in keeping the dust fallclose to the surface of the electrodes and when the ionized dustparticles strike the trough in their fall their electro-static charge isremoved whereby the particles startthrough the next precipitating zonefree of charge, permitting more efiicient dust separation as there areno charged particles at the plate surface to buck corona dischargecoming from the discharge electrodes. The precipitated dust afterpassing through the lowest collecting zone enters dust chutes l9 and at'32 and-then the precipitator dust hopper I8. Withreference to Figs. 5and 6 of the drawings it i will be seen that the principles of theinvention are equally adaptable for use on preoipitators operating withhorizontal gas flow. In the illus- 'trative embodiments shown in Figs. 5and 6, parallel discharge electrodes i3 are shown angularly supported bya vertical supporting frame i l suspended between the collectingelectrodes E5. The individual discharge elements l3 are disposed upontheir supporting frame at such an angle that all of the incoming dustladengas must pass between at least one, preferably three, dischargeelectrodes and their complementar collecting plates. The collectingelectrodes l5 comprise a plurality' of superimposed sections, within arec- V tangular frame 23 adapted to support the electrode sectionswithin the precipitator. Each section of the electrode comprises a plate25 angularly disposed within the frame 23' at the same angle as thecomplementary discharge electrodes. These plates, as in the verticalflow precipitators, have funnel shaped troughs 21' coextensive with theupper edge of the plate sections. The troughs likewise being formed froman outwardly projecting portion 25' of the plate 25 and a balile plate28', secured in spaced relationship to the plate projection by tieplates 29'. Slots 3% centrally disposed in the tie plates 29' receivethe lower end' of the next succeeding plate 25, whereby the electrodesections are interlocked one above another, each section providing aprecipitating zone angularly disposed to the gas flow.

- The angularly disposed upper portion of each plate of the electrodemay advantageously be alternately projected to one side and to the otherto provide for more even distribution of the precipitated material and amore'eificient collecting unit, as hereinbefore described with referenceto the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 through 4 of the drawings.

Each of the collectin electrodes are provided with dust chutes l9 and20' at their lower ends for directing the precipitated material from thelower ends of the electrodes to the precipitator dust hopper, not shownin Figs. 5 and 6.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the presentinvention provides a novel collecting electrode construction whereby theaims, objects and advantages of the invention are fully accomplished.

7 It will be evident. that various modifications may be made in theconstruction of the electrode andin the form and number of platesections and dust collecting troughs. For example, both sides of thecollecting troughs may be constructed of baflle plates secured to asubstantially plane collecting plate, and the discharge of precipitatedmaterial from the troughs need not alternate from one side of theelectrode to the other as shown by way of illustration in the drawings.

I claim:

1. A collecting electrode structure comprising a plurality ofsuperimposed sections; each secs tion comprising a plate; membersprojecting angularly upward, alternately toward one side of theelectrode structure then toward the other side, from the upper edge ofeach of said plates and extending above the lower edge of the nexthigher plate in the structure; an angularly disposed bafiie memberspaced from said upwardly projecting member and cooperating therewith todefine a trough extending along the lower edge of said next higher plateand open alternately toward one side of the electrode structure thentoward the other side, along the lower apex of the trough adjacent theupper edge of the plate.

2. A collecting electrode structure comprising a plurality ofsuperimposed sections; each section comprising a plate, each of saidplates being progressively shorter from the uppermost sectiondownwardly; members projecting angularly upward, alternately toward oneside of the electrode structure then toward the other side, from theupper edge of each of said plates and extending above the lower edge ofthe next higher plate in the structure; anangularly disposed bafliemember spaced from said upwardly projecting member and cooperatingtherewith to define a trough extending along the lower edge of said nexthigher plate and open alternately toward one side of the electrodestructure then toward the other side, along the lower apex of the troughadiacent the upper edge of the plate.

3. A collecting electrode structure comprising a plurality ofsuperimposed sections; vertical support members for said sections; eachsection comprising a plate supported angularly between said supportmembers; members projecting angularly upward, alternately toward oneside of the electrode structure then toward the other side, from theupper edge of each of said plates and extending above the lower edge ofthe next higher plate in the structure; an angularly, disposed baiilemember spaced from said upwardly projecting member and cooperatingtherewith to define a trough extending along the lower edge oi. saidnext higher plate and open, alternately toward one side of the electrodestructure then toward the other side, along the lower apex of the troughadjacent the upper edge of the plate.

4. A collecting electrode structure comprising a plurality ofsuperimposed sections; vertical support members for said sections; eachsection comprising a plate supported angularly between said supportmembers; each of said plates being progressively shorter from theuppermost section downwardly; members projecting angularly upward,alternately toward one side of the electrode structure then toward theother side, from the upper edge of each of said plates and extendingabove the lower edge of the next higher plate in the structure; anangularly, disposed baflle member spaced from said upwardly projectingmember and cooperating therewith to define a trough r extending alongthe lower edge of said next higher plate and open, alternately towardone side of the electrode structure then toward the other side, alongthe lower apex of the trough adjacent the upper edge or the plate.

GORDON BUSFIELD.

REFERENES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

